A $399 bottle of tequila? Modesto-based Gallo partners with an ultra-luxury brand
E.&J. Gallo Winery of Modesto has entered a distribution deal with Tequila Komos, the “ultra-luxury” end of the Mexico-based industry.
The prices range from $110 to $399 if ordered through the Sip Tequila option on the Komos website. Each bottle is hand-crafted porcelain and can be put to other uses when empty.
Gallo makes or distributes about 25 liquor brands along with being the world’s largest wine producer. The company did not disclose the financial terms for U.S. distribution rights to Komos, its third tequila brand.
Richard Betts and Joe Marchese founded Komos near the town of Tequila in the western state of Jalisco. The liquor is made by roasting agave plants in volcanic stone ovens, yielding a juice that is mixed with yeast to ferment. The distilled product ages in oak barrels, yielding bottles at three suggested price points:
Rosa Reposado, aged for 65 days, $110
Añejo Cristalino, 12 months, $120
Extra Añejo, three years, $399.
Tasting Panel Magazine gave the Extra Añejo its first-ever 100-point score, a news release from Gallo and Komos said.
“We are deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with the legendary Gallo family, who have been remarkable brand builders over the last century,” Betts said.
Gallo launched in 1933 and only made wine until branching into brandy in 1977. It later added production or distribution of gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila and rum.
The tequila partnerships started in 2010 with Familia Camarena, selling for about $20 per bottle. Gallo teamed in 2020 with Don Fulano, ranging from $50 to $190.
In April, all of the liquors came under the new Spirit of Gallo moniker.
“Bolstering our portfolio with Komos unlocks significant potential for our partners in this flourishing market,” said Britt West, senior vice president and general manager for Spirit of Gallo.
The company employs about 7,000 people in wine and liquor in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere around the world.
